Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Chemistry of the Cell02:58

Chemistry of the Cell

46.7K
The cell is chemically composed of water, organic molecules and inorganic ions.
Water
The polarity of the water molecule and its resulting hydrogen bonding makes water a unique substance with special properties that are intimately tied to the processes of life. Life originally evolved in an aqueous environment, and most of an organism’s cellular chemistry and metabolism occur inside the aqueous contents of the cell’s cytoplasm. Special properties of water are its high heat capacity...
46.7K
Compounds Essential to Human Function01:25

Compounds Essential to Human Function

9.8K
The human body is composed of cells that are fundamentally made up of several different molecules. These molecules are essential to carry out all physiological processes in the body and are broadly classified into organic and inorganic based on their chemical structures.
Inorganic Compounds Essential to Human Functioning
Inorganic compounds essential to human functioning include water, salts, acids, and bases. These compounds are inorganic, i.e., they do not have a carbon-hydrogen bond. Water...
9.8K
Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

7.8K
Ion channels are specialized proteins on the plasma membrane that allow charged ions to pass down their electrochemical gradient. Their main function is to maintain the membrane potential which is critical for cell viability. These channels are either gated or non-gated and can transport more than a thousand ions within milliseconds for the cellular event to occur.
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism....
7.8K
Positive Regulator Molecules02:39

Positive Regulator Molecules

6.4K
Mitotic cell division results in daughter cells that exactly resemble the parent cell. However, errors in the DNA replication or distribution of genetic material may lead to genetic mutations that may be passed down to every new cell formed from the resulting abnormal cell. Propagation of such mutant cells is restricted through checkpoint mechanisms present at different stages of the cell cycle. These checkpoints involve regulator molecules that either promote or demote cell cycle events.
6.4K
Positive Regulator Molecules01:45

Positive Regulator Molecules

130.6K
To consistently produce healthy cells, the cell cycle—the process that generates daughter cells—must be precisely regulated.
130.6K
Cell Inclusions01:27

Cell Inclusions

605
Prokaryotic cells possess a variety of inclusions that play crucial roles in nutrient storage, metabolic processes, and environmental adaptation. These structures enable bacteria to thrive under fluctuating environmental conditions by storing essential resources and optimizing their metabolic efficiency.Carbon Storage: Poly-β-Hydroxybutyric Acid and Glycogen GranulesBacteria frequently store excess carbon in specialized granules. Poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) granules are lipid...
605

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Geometric principles of dendritic integration of excitation and inhibition in cortical neurons.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Abraham Patchornik: The Contemporary Relevance of His Work for Chemistry and Biology.

JACS Au·2025
Same author

Bidirectional Neuronal Actuation by Uncaging with Violet and Green Light.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2024
Same author

Reverse Engineering Caged Compounds: Design Principles for their Application in Biology.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2023
Same author

The yin and yang of intracellular delivery of amphipathic optical probes using <i>n</i>-butyl charge masking.

Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)·2022
Same author

Local recovery of cardiac calcium-induced calcium release interrogated by ultra-effective, two-photon uncaging of calcium.

The Journal of physiology·2021
Same journal

Design Principles for Negative Thermal Expansion in Two-Dimensional Materials.

Accounts of chemical research·2026
Same journal

Main Group Redox Catalysis: New Frontiers with Germanium and Tin.

Accounts of chemical research·2026
Same journal

Taming Irreversibility in sp<sup>2</sup>-Carbon-Conjugated COFs from Polycrystalline Powders to Single Crystals and Thin Films.

Accounts of chemical research·2026
Same journal

Electroactive Imidazolium Ionic Liquids in Organic Synthesis.

Accounts of chemical research·2026
Same journal

Calix[4]resorcinarene-Based Porous Organic Cages: Synthesis and Applications.

Accounts of chemical research·2026
Same journal

Light-Driven Dual Rotary Molecular Motors and Beyond.

Accounts of chemical research·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 14, 2025

Design, Synthesis, and Photochemical Properties of Clickable Caged Compounds
09:44

Design, Synthesis, and Photochemical Properties of Clickable Caged Compounds

Published on: October 15, 2019

12.8K

Useful Caged Compounds for Cell Physiology.

Graham C R Ellis-Davies1

  • 1Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, United States.

Accounts of Chemical Research
|July 22, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Caged compounds use light to precisely control biological processes within cells. This technology enables scientists to study cellular functions with unprecedented temporal and spatial accuracy.

More Related Videos

Flash Photolysis of Caged Compounds in the Cilia of Olfactory Sensory Neurons
11:35

Flash Photolysis of Caged Compounds in the Cilia of Olfactory Sensory Neurons

Published on: October 29, 2011

13.2K
Development, Characterization, and Evaluation of CAGE-based Ionic Liquid Systems for Transdermal Delivery
09:44

Development, Characterization, and Evaluation of CAGE-based Ionic Liquid Systems for Transdermal Delivery

Published on: September 26, 2025

270

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 14, 2025

Design, Synthesis, and Photochemical Properties of Clickable Caged Compounds
09:44

Design, Synthesis, and Photochemical Properties of Clickable Caged Compounds

Published on: October 15, 2019

12.8K
Flash Photolysis of Caged Compounds in the Cilia of Olfactory Sensory Neurons
11:35

Flash Photolysis of Caged Compounds in the Cilia of Olfactory Sensory Neurons

Published on: October 29, 2011

13.2K
Development, Characterization, and Evaluation of CAGE-based Ionic Liquid Systems for Transdermal Delivery
09:44

Development, Characterization, and Evaluation of CAGE-based Ionic Liquid Systems for Transdermal Delivery

Published on: September 26, 2025

270

Area of Science:

  • Cellular Physiology
  • Photochemistry
  • Organic Synthesis

Background:

  • Light microscopy has been crucial for cell discovery and study since the 17th century.
  • A paradigm shift occurred with the development of caged compounds, enabling rational control of cellular processes.
  • Caged compounds are optical probes that release active molecules upon light stimulation, offering temporal and spatial precision.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the development and application of caged compounds in cell physiology.
  • To highlight the collaborative efforts between chemists and physiologists in creating novel optical probes.
  • To showcase advancements in caged compound technology for sophisticated cellular research.

Main Methods:

  • Design and synthesis of caged compounds using organic chemistry.
  • Photochemical characterization to determine uncaging kinetics and efficiency.
  • Physiological and biochemical assays to confirm bio-inertness and functionality.
  • Application of caged compounds in various microscopy techniques, including two-photon uncaging.

Main Results:

  • Development of widely used "caged calcium" probes.
  • Creation of caged neurotransmitters for advanced microscopy applications.
  • Innovation in photochemical protecting groups for orthogonal and multi-color uncaging.

Conclusions:

  • Caged compounds represent a powerful tool for dissecting cellular processes with high precision.
  • Iterative development through interdisciplinary collaboration drives innovation in optical probe technology.
  • Future directions include developing probes for wavelength-orthogonal and ultra-efficient uncaging.